# ChatGPT Projects vs Gemini Gems vs Gemini Notebook: Which to Use

> Put the same business files in a ChatGPT Project, a Gemini Gem and Gemini Notebook, ask one question and compare. Plus where a knowledge base fits.

Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-projects-vs-gemini-gems-vs-notebooklm · Updated 2026-10-10 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com)

## Practice it step by step

[Start the free practice](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/projects-vs-gems-vs-notebooks)

You do every step yourself in a practice copy of ChatGPT and Gemini. It checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, about 9 minutes, and nothing touches your real accounts. [Open full screen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/projects-vs-gems-vs-notebooks)

Free · Live now · [Gemini for Google Workspace](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/course/gemini-for-google-workspace) · [ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tool/chatgpt) · [Gemini](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tool/gemini) · Gemini Notebook · ~9 min · 26 steps · Beginner

Updated October 10, 2026. Built against the tool’s current screens and checked step by step. [How we check this lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about#how-we-check)

[ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tool/chatgpt) Projects, [Gemini](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tool/gemini) Gems and [Gemini Notebook](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tool/gemini-notebook) (the tool that used to be called [NotebookLM](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/notebooklm)) all let AI use your own documents, and they look similar at first. They are built for different jobs. In this free, hands-on lesson you load the same three files for a small auto repair shop into each tool, ask each one the same warranty question, and compare the answers side by side. You finish with a cheat sheet for choosing, and a clear idea of where a [knowledge base](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/knowledge-base) fits in.

## At a glance

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| What you build | Load an auto shop's price list, warranty and FAQ into a ChatGPT Project, a Gemini Gem and Gemini Notebook, ask each the same question, and see which fits which job. |
| Tools | ChatGPT and Gemini |
| Time | About 9 minutes, 26 steps in 4 parts |
| Level | Beginner, no coding needed |
| Cost | Free |
| Ways to learn it | [Practice it step by step](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/projects-vs-gems-vs-notebooks) |

### The 4 parts, in short

1. ChatGPT Project: Start a new project, Name the project, Create it, Open Sources, and 5 more steps.
2. Gemini Gem: Open the Gem editor, Name the Gem, Give it one job, Add knowledge, and 4 more steps.
3. Gemini Notebook: Open Gemini Notebook, Create a notebook, Upload files, Upload all three, and 3 more steps.
4. Which to use: Open the cheat sheet, And a knowledge base?.

**Start here first:** [Gemini in Gmail: Summarize a Thread and Draft the Reply](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/gemini-in-gmail-summarize-and-reply) (module 1 of Gemini for Google Workspace)

**In the course:** [Part 5 · Gemini for Google Workspace](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/course/part-5-gemini-for-google-workspace) (Module 31 of the [full course](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/course))

**Part of:** [AI at Work: Start Here](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/paths/ai-at-work-start-here) (step 6 of 9). Next up: [NotebookLM: Turn Your Documents into a Podcast (Audio Overview)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/notebooklm-audio-overview-podcast-from-your-documents)

## The test: one set of files, one question

The example business is Birch Street Auto Repair, a made-up shop. Its owner has three documents: a 2026 price list, the warranty and policies, and a customer FAQ. The test question is one every shop gets: a customer had brake pads replaced on Feb 3 and they squeak now. Is it covered, and if not, what would we charge to look at it?

The documents hold the answer, but only if you read them carefully. Brake repairs are covered for 12 months or 12,000 miles, light noise while new pads bed in during the first 500 miles is listed as normal, and a brake inspection is $49, credited toward any repair. The customer's mileage is not in any document.

## ChatGPT Project: your workspace

You create a project from the sidebar (Projects, then New project), name it, and click Create project. Files go in the project's Sources tab with Add, so every chat inside the project can use them. You then ask the question in the "New chat in" box at the top of the project.

The answer uses the warranty and price list correctly and reminds you to check the mileage. It also adds general tips about glazed pads and slide pins that are not in your files. That is typical: a Project mixes your documents with ChatGPT's general knowledge. It is great for your own ongoing work, such as quotes, replies and planning, as long as you notice which parts came from your files.

## Gemini Gem: one repeat job for the team

In the Gem editor you fill in a Name, write Instructions, and add the same files under Knowledge with the plus button and Upload files. You can also add Google Docs from Drive, which stay up to date as you edit them. The Preview on the right lets you test before you save; it needs a name first.

Because the instructions say to answer customers in a short, friendly message using only the files, the Gem replies as if to the customer, with the same facts and links to the files it used. That is the point of a Gem: the job is built in, so anyone on the team gets the same kind of answer every time, and you can share the Gem like a Google Doc.

## Gemini Notebook: what do my documents actually say?

In [Gemini](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/gemini) Notebook you click Create new notebook and upload the files in the add sources window. The notebook names itself and summarizes the sources, then you ask in the "Ask a question or create something" box.

Chat answers in Gemini Notebook only use your sources, with numbered citations. In the lesson it finds the line about new pads bedding in, says plainly that the customer's mileage is not in the documents, and gives the $49 inspection price. Click a citation and the exact passage opens in the Sources panel. That makes it the best of the three for checking policies, contracts and manuals, and it can also turn sources into briefings and audio overviews in Studio.

## Where does a knowledge base fit?

A knowledge base is the single, up-to-date home for your documents: a shared Drive folder, a help center or a wiki. You need it most when customers are the ones asking, through a website chatbot or an AI phone receptionist, because those tools read their answers from a knowledge base.

Whatever tools you use, keep one master copy of each document and update it there first. Otherwise the price list in your Project, your Gem and your chatbot slowly drift apart, and the AI confidently quotes last year's prices.

## Quick guide

Use a ChatGPT Project for your own ongoing work with files, instructions and chats in one place. Use a Gemini Gem for one repeat job your team should do the same way. Use Gemini Notebook when you need answers that stick to your documents, with citations you can check. Use a knowledge base as the master copy that customer-facing bots read from.

Plans differ: Projects are available in ChatGPT, Gems and Gemini Notebook in Google's Gemini apps, and file limits depend on your plan. Check each tool's current limits before you rely on it for a big document set.

## Try it yourself, free

Reading the steps is a start. Doing them is how it sticks. The interactive module walks you through every click in a practice copy of ChatGPT and Gemini, checks each step, and never touches your real accounts.

[Start “ChatGPT Projects vs Gemini Gems vs Gemini Notebook: Which to Use”](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/projects-vs-gems-vs-notebooks)

## Step by step: ChatGPT Projects vs Gemini Gems vs Gemini Notebook: Which to Use

All 26 steps of the interactive module, in order. In the module you watch each one, then do it yourself in a practice copy that checks your work.

### 1. ChatGPT Project

1. **Start a new project.** In the ChatGPT sidebar, click the **+** next to **Projects** to start a new project.
   Sam runs Birch Street Auto Repair, and he has three documents: a price list, the warranty and policies, and a customer FAQ. We'll load the same three files into three tools, ask each one the same question, and compare. First, a ChatGPT Project. In the sidebar, click the plus next to Projects.
2. **Name the project.** Paste in the name to name it **Birch Street Auto**.
   Give it a name.
3. **Create it.** Click **Create project**.
4. **Open Sources.** Under the project name, click the **Sources** tab.
   A project is a workspace. Its files live in Sources, so every chat inside the project can use them.
5. **Add the files.** Click **Add sources**.
6. **Upload.** In the **Add sources** window, click **Upload**.
   You can drag files in, or pull them from Google Drive or Slack.
7. **Upload all three.** The three documents are already selected. Click **Open**.
   All three documents are selected.
8. **Ask the test question.** Paste in the question to ask it in the box that says **New chat in Birch Street Auto**.
   Now the test question, the same one we'll ask every tool: a customer's brakes are squeaking eight months after we replaced the pads. Covered or not, and what would we charge?
   ```text
   A customer had front brake pads replaced here on Feb 3 and says they squeak now. Is that covered by our warranty, and if not, what would we charge to look at it?
   ```
9. **Send it and read the answer.** Click the **send arrow**, then read the answer.
   Send it. The answer is right, and it used your warranty and price list. But look at the last paragraph: tips about glazed pads and slide pins. That's not in your files. Projects mix your documents with ChatGPT's general knowledge, which is handy for your own work, but you have to spot what came from where.

### 2. Gemini Gem

10. **Open the Gem editor.** Click the **Gemini** tab. The **New Gem** editor is open.
    Next, a Gemini Gem. A Gem is a helper you set up once for one job, with its own instructions and files.
11. **Name the Gem.** Paste in the name in the **Name** box.
    Give the Gem a name. The preview on the right needs one before you can test.
12. **Give it one job.** Paste in the instructions in the **Instructions** box.
    Here's what makes a Gem different: the job is built in. This one always answers customers, in a short, friendly message, using only the files.
    ```text
    You answer customer questions for Birch Street Auto Repair. Use only the knowledge files for prices, warranty and policies. Reply as a short, friendly message to the customer. If the files don't cover it, say we'll check and call them back.
    ```
13. **Add knowledge.** Under **Knowledge**, click the **+** next to **Add files for your Gem to reference**.
    Now the same three files. Under Knowledge, click the plus.
14. **Upload files.** Click **Upload files**.
    You could also add Google Docs straight from Drive, and those stay up to date when you edit them.
15. **Upload all three.** Click **Open**.
16. **Ask the same question in the Preview.** In the **Preview** on the right, Paste in the question.
    Test it in the Preview on the right with the same question.
    ```text
    A customer had front brake pads replaced here on Feb 3 and says they squeak now. Is that covered by our warranty, and if not, what would we charge to look at it?
    ```
17. **Send it and read the answer.** Click the **send arrow**.
    Send it. Same facts, but written as a reply to the customer, because that's the job you gave it. The little source links show which files it used. Save a Gem and your whole team can use it, the same way, every time.

### 3. Gemini Notebook

18. **Open Gemini Notebook.** Click the **Gemini Notebook** tab.
    Third, Gemini Notebook, the tool that used to be called NotebookLM.
19. **Create a notebook.** Click **New notebook**.
20. **Upload files.** In the add sources window, click **Upload files**.
    It asks for sources right away.
21. **Upload all three.** Click **Open**.
    Same three files.
22. **Ask the same question.** Paste in the question in the chat box.
    And the same question, one more time.
    ```text
    A customer had front brake pads replaced here on Feb 3 and says they squeak now. Is that covered by our warranty, and if not, what would we charge to look at it?
    ```
23. **Send it and read the answer.** Click the **send arrow**.
    Send it. This answer sticks to your sources. It even found the line about new pads squeaking in the first 500 miles, and it says plainly that the customer's mileage isn't in the documents. No outside tips.
24. **Check a citation.** Click citation **2** in the answer.
    It shows you the exact line in the warranty document, so you can check the answer in seconds. That's what a notebook is best at: what do my documents actually say?

### 4. Which to use

25. **Open the cheat sheet.** Click the **Cheat sheet** tab.
    Three tools, one set of files, three different answers. Let's sum it up. A Project is your workspace. A Gem is a repeat job for the team. A Notebook checks what your documents say.
26. **And a knowledge base?.** Click the **Knowledge base** row.
    The fourth row is the knowledge base: one up-to-date home for these documents, like a shared Drive folder. When customers are the ones asking, through a website chatbot or a phone agent, that bot reads from the knowledge base. Whichever tools you use, keep one master copy of each file and update it there first.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the difference between a ChatGPT Project and a Gemini Gem?**

A Project is a workspace that holds files, instructions and all the chats about one topic. A Gem is a reusable helper for one job, with fixed instructions and knowledge files, that you can share with your team.

**Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook?**

Yes. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026. It still answers from the sources you add, with numbered citations.

**Which tool is most accurate with my documents?**

Gemini Notebook sticks closest to your sources because its chat answers only use them, and each claim links to the passage. Projects and Gems also use your files, but can add general knowledge, so check where each part came from.

**Do I need a knowledge base?**

If customers ask questions through a website chatbot or phone agent, yes: those tools read from one. Even if not, keep one master copy of your key documents so every AI tool uses the same, current version.

**Is this lesson free?**

Yes. Stepthrough is completely free and the practice copy needs no account. To do it for real you need your own ChatGPT and Google accounts.

[Start this module free](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/projects-vs-gems-vs-notebooks)

- Previous in Gemini for Google Workspace: [NotebookLM: Turn Your Documents into a Podcast (Audio Overview)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/notebooklm-audio-overview-podcast-from-your-documents)

## More in Gemini for Google Workspace

- [Gemini in Gmail: Summarize a Thread and Draft the Reply](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/gemini-in-gmail-summarize-and-reply): Catch up on a long email thread in seconds with Summarize this email, ask Gemini what you owe, then write, refine and polish the reply with Help me write.
- [Gmail Filters, Labels and AI Draft Replies With a Human Check](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/gmail-filters-labels-ai-draft-replies): Make Gmail label every website quote request automatically, draft the reply with Help me write, and catch the made-up price before it's sent.
- [NotebookLM (Now Gemini Notebook): Cited Answers and a Briefing from Your Docs](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/notebooklm-gemini-notebook-cited-answers-briefing-doc): Create a notebook, add a PDF, a Google Doc from Drive and a web page as sources, ask a question and check its citations, save the answer to a note, and turn it all into…

[All 5 modules in Gemini for Google Workspace](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/course/gemini-for-google-workspace)

## More ChatGPT and Gemini tutorials

- [Prompt Writing 101: Role, Context, Task, Format](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompt-writing-101-role-context-task-format): Ask ChatGPT for the same customer email twice, once vaguely and once with a four-part prompt, and see exactly why structure gets a better answer.
- [Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/get-recommended-by-chatgpt): Ask ChatGPT who it recommends in your town, see which pages it trusts, then use it to write an FAQ page and Business Profile copy that answer real customer questions.
- [Summarize a Meeting Transcript with ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-summarize-meeting-transcript): Paste a long meeting transcript into ChatGPT and get the decisions, an action items table with owners and due dates, and a follow-up email ready to send.
- [Reply Faster: Turn a Messy Customer Email Thread into a Clear, Friendly Reply](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-reply-to-customer-emails): Turn a messy customer email thread into a clear, friendly reply: give ChatGPT the thread and your facts, check every promise, fix the tone, and send it from Gmail.
- [ChatGPT Projects: Keep Your Brand Voice, Files and Instructions in One Place](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-projects-brand-voice): Set up a ChatGPT Project with your brand voice instructions, your price list and your style guide, so every new chat already knows your business.
- [Analyze a Spreadsheet with ChatGPT: Upload a CSV, Get a Chart and Three Takeaways](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-analyze-spreadsheet-csv): Upload a CSV of sales to ChatGPT, have it check the data first, ask your questions, get a chart you can download, and finish with the three takeaways that matter.

## Terms in this lesson

Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson.

[Gemini](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/gemini) · [Google DeepMind](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/google-deepmind) · [ChatGPT Projects](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/chatgpt-projects) · [Gems (Gemini)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/gemini-gems) · [NotebookLM](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/notebooklm) · [Knowledge base](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/knowledge-base)

[The full AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary)

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